Door check and closer.



J. HOPERLB. DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1912. 1,1 1&539, Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

J. HOFERLE. DOOR QHEGK AND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1912.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I of Illinois,

30 adjustable and flexible,

' and closer mounted in door is partlyopen;

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN no'rnnrn, or onroneo, rumors, Assronoa or ONE-FOURTH 'ro manner A. HOFERLE, ONE-FOURTH'TO ANDREW Anna; AND ONE-room '10 LOUIS Anna,

ALL OFOHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

, Dooia canon AND crosnn.

Specification of LettersIatentQ Patented NOV. 3, 1914:;

Application filed Deceinber 26, 1912. Serial No. 738,558.

To all whom it mayconoem:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HOFERLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county. of Cook and State have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Door Checks and Closers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of door checks in which the resisting or checking action results from con 1 pressed air, and the door clos ng action is produced by a spring mounted in and formin a part of the complete device, thus provi, ing a combined door-check and closer.

Aside from providing a simple, compact, economic and eiiective pneumaticv door check, an important object of my invention is to provide means: whereby the same check.

2 may be directly connected to the door frame;

and with right or left-hand doors, without changing the form oi. the attachments.

A further object of my improvements, 1s to provide means by which the speed at which the door-is closed may be easily regulated.

A still further object of my improvements is to provide a swivel connection between the check and its support which will be both thus adapting the. device to variations in contour, arrangement of the door and door frame to which it'is attached.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention inthe following views Figure 1 shows my improved door-check osition contiguous door an door 'framebeing portions of the w is an enlarged longitudinal shown; Fig. 2

'vertical section of the cylinder and theparts mounted therein, which form important features of my invention. Fig. 3 is a top-plan view of the complete device shown in Fig. 1, showing its operative. position when the detail, partly in section, of the supporting bracket and the cylinder engaged thereby,

ahook 9 the outer' end of which is position and Fig. 4 is an enlarged .adapted for use with the cylinder of my improvedcheek, under certain conditions.

Referring to the details of the drawing,

6 represents a metal cylinder or pipethread ed externally at its ends, as at 6, 6*, to which are fitted caps 7, 20, .respectively.

Qn the outer face of the cap 7 is a boss 7 a wh ch 1s tapped -.to receive a screw 8 which 1s cut away on one side, as at'8", to form .a graduated passageway for air from the interior of the cap or cylinder to the atmos phere, said screw serving therefore as a valve.

Pro-jecting inwardly from the ca 7, is

lieaded over asatQ. Connected with the hook 9,

1s an expansion coil spring 10*, the opposite end of which is connected with a similar hook 11, 11, secured to a cup-shaped castin 12 which is internally threaded at 12, an

is formed with spaced-parallel lu s 12 in which are holes 12. The thr s 12 engage male threads on one end of a tube 13 which extends through an opening 20. in the cap 20, into the cylinder 6. This tube is but slightly shorter than the cylinderfi, and to its inner end are securedfcollars 14:, 15, be-' tween which is clamped a cup-shaped piston ring 16, of leather or other suitablewfiiaterial, which has a snug but sliding fit to the walls of the cylinder 6.

A short distance from the cap 7, spaced "holes 17, 18, are formed in the wall ofthe cylinder 6, and are covered and connected by a housing 19 secured to the outer wall of the cylinder, said holes and housing forming a by-pass for a purpose to be disclosed. Secured to the door A,inear its top, by

screws 23, is a bracket .consisti nrg*of a plate 21 and a stud 21f, the latt perforated transversely to receive a bolt 22, which also passes through the holes 12 in the lugs t2 and thus connects the bracket with the cupshaped member 12.

Asplit'collar v24 (see Fig. 4) embraces the cylinder 6, and is adjustable thereon byloosening the screw 25 which passes through threaded openings in the ears 24 of the colwhich it may be attached by screws 30 to a door frame lintel C, as shown in Fig. 1.

posed of the members 27', 28 and 29, may be dispensed with, and that shown in Fig. 5,-

substituted. This fitting consists of a casting having a circular base 31 in which screw-receiving holes '31 are formed, and from which rises a conical projection 31 which is internally threaded as at 31 so that it may be screwed directly upon the member 26.' s I The operation of my improved check is as follows :Asspming that it is desired to close and check the door A, hinged to the jamb B, and having a lintel C, the bracket 21 is screwed to the top rail of the door A,

and the bracket 29 is screwed to the lintel,

at about the relative positions shown in Fig. i

1. The member 12 is then connected by bolt 22 with the bracket 21, the collar 24 is adjusted to the cylinder and clamped thereon, and the valve 8 turned so as to admit air through the nipple 7 to the interior of the cylinder 6. Upon the door A being moved to open position, the cylinder will swivel on the connections 24, 26, the tubular piston stem 13 will be drawn outwardly .from the cylinder 6, and the spring 10 will be expanded. As the piston 16 moves toward the eap 20, air will enter the cylinder through-v the port 7", and occupy the space between said piston and the cap 7. Assoon as the door is released, the contraction of the spring 10, will cause it to move toward the closed position, inwhich the return move- .,ment of the piston will be resisted by the more or less compressed air cushion between said piston; and the cap, plus atmospheric pressure at the vent or port 7". As the latter is small inarea, the air, will escape slowly until the piston'reaches apoint between the ports, 17, 18, when the air will rush through the by-pass 19 and past the piston, to the other portion of the cylinder chamber, where, by reason of the opening 20 in the capi20, there willbe only atmospheric pressure, thus accelerating the return stroke of, the-piston and closing the door with suflicient force to insure the latching operation of the usual lock.

It will be noted that the swivel movement of the cylinder, will maintain it at a proper angle to the plane of movement of the outer end of the piston-tube 13, so there will be no lateral strain on the latter. If the door, 1n its swinging movements, should sag or drop slightly because of a loose hinge connection D with the jamb B, the cylinder 6 will tilt downwardly at its end adjacent the door, this movement being permitted by the loose connection provided by the ball and socket joint at 24= 26 26 and thus any strains that would otherwise result will be i avoided. In some lnstances, the angular fitting com- Having thus described my I claim as -new, is

1. In a device of the character described, a bracket, a cylinder supported from said bracket, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, a tubular piston stem, a coil spring arranged in said piston stem and adapted to be expanded by the outward movement of said piston stem, means whereby said piston "stem will be moved outwardly, a valved opening into said cylinder and a by-pass out-' side the walls of said cylinder.

2. In a device-of the character described, a bracket, a cylinder, a universal jointed connectlon between said bracket and cylinder,

invention what .a piston lidably mounted in said cylinder, 7

a tubular pistonsteln, an expansible coiled spring arranged in said stem and connected at oneend with" the cylinder, and at the other end with said-stem, means whereby said stem willbe drawn outwardly, an adjustable valve controlling an opening into said cylinder, and a by-pass outside the walls of said cylinder. I

3. In a device of the character described, a bracket, a cylinder, an adjustable and swiveled connection between said bracket and cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, a tubular piston stem, an expansible coil-spring arranged in said stem and connected at one end with the cylinder and at the other end with said stem, means whereby said stem will be drawn outwardly, and an adjustable valve controlling'an opening in the other end of said cylinder.

4.. In a door check and closer, a cylinder,

a supporting means, a ball and socket joint connecting said cylinder and .said supporting means, a piston mounted at the end of amubular piston stem within said cylinder, an expansible coil-spring arranged within said stem, and connected at one end thereto,

and'at the other end to said cylinder, a valve controlling an opening into said cylinder,

I and aby-pass outside the walls of saidcyl- 5. In a door check and closer, a cylinder,

a supporting means for said cylinder, a

, horizontal adjusting means connecting said cylinder with said supporting means, a pis- In testimony whereof I aim my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HOFERLE.

ton mounted at the end of a tubular piston stem within said cylinder, an expansible coil-spring arranged within said stem and connected at one end thereto, and at the Witnesses: other end to said cylinder, and a by-pass M. A. MILORD, outside the walls of said cylinder. G. W. HILTABRAND. 

